Short Summary

In Santiago, Chile, on Sunday--the funeral of the second person to die during the curfew hours imposed by president Allende to curb the crippling strikes which have paralysed the nation since October 11th.

Description

In Santiago, Chile, on Sunday--the funeral of the second person to die during the curfew hours imposed by president Allende to curb the crippling strikes which have paralysed the nation since October 11th. He is Schoolteacher Fernando Carrera--who was killed by a military patrol for failing to obey an order to halt in the early hours of Saturday morning. He was the brother of Socialist Congressman Maria Elena Carrera.

Senor Carrera's funeral was attended by representatives of Chile's three Armed Forces and civil authorities.

The other person to die during the stoppages is a nine-year-old boy. He had fallen from a crowded bus and been run over by one of its rear wheels. The bus picked him up and was rushing him to hospital when its tyres were punctured by metal spikes scattered on the road. He is said to have died because of the delay in reaching hospital.

Both the deaths are begin used as political weapons. Senor Carreras' by the opposition as an attack on the military methods being used by the Marxist Government to curb the strikers. The boy's by the leftwing press and groups saying that the spikes had been strewn by the anti-Allende strikers.

The strikes themselves began when transport workers protested against the projected nationalisation of certain sectors. Within a week they were joined by what has been called "the bosses' strike"--but which has had far greater-reaching effects than that would imply. Among those who have struck: merchant navy men, shopkeepers, doctors, bank clerks, etc. It is the widest-spread confrontation between President Allende and his mainly middle-class opponents since he came to power two years ago.